Words on little voices
(I started this writing on a notepad, your thinking is more tuned into the speed of your thoughts and especially for capturing fleeting moment of consciousness, it is better suited. But then I took it through here to ‘publish’ it and you get to a stage of curating the words/spaces/ what words for what line of text. So there are two stages: flow and curating/editing)
Pavement Breakfast:
Attempt 1:
I just stepped over the small mound of grey fluff, the crow stalked aside, as red triangle in its beak,
Ah, I interrupted breakfast
Attempt 2:
stepping over the small mound of grey fluff (fur), I disturbed the crow stalking to one side , red tinge in its beak.
ah. I interrupted his lunch.
Attempt 3:
stepping over the small mound of grey fluff,
I noticed then the crow step back,
red tinge in its beak,
Ah…I interrupted breakfast
Reflection
Trying to capture words immediately after the scene, you watch a small scene unfold in front of you and you become aware of the dynamics happening at pavement level. Then using the right words, phrases, spaces and sentence structure to convey that. I discovered yesterday Baco Ohama’s work, beautiful. Really drew my attention the use of gaps in sentences like this.
flurry of black
a flurry of black in the sky catches my eye
They’re here!
I can’t get out to see them fast enough.
they pause briefly over the marsh, come this way and
then pause before circling…did they forget a friend?
And then they gather again
and twist and soar, darting through to Vancouver.
I realised, sadly, by August that they’d gone somewhere else
And then in September another flurry, maybe of sparrows? flashed through before sunset to settle on the crane.
sometimes if you are watching you will see a group curve and dart, this way and that over the buildings, as if all tied to one piece of thread
Reflection
Poetry is best read aloud. Or at least in your head. I think especially now with our limited time and head space, a few words that can stop you and create space for nature and to have the soothing properties of nature amidst the constant stimulation of the urban environment are needed.